April 2023

8 Buckden Roundabout April 2023 Church News Weekly Prayer Roster Each week during the year the Churches, in their prayers, remember the residents of particular streets in the village, those who work in the parish and village organisations. Those to be remembered this month are: 2nd April Manor Gardens, Manor Close, Glebe Lane, The Grove 9th April Park Road, Falcon Way, The Marinas, and those who live and work there 16th April Field Close, Lincoln Close, Silver Street, Beaufort Drive, St Hugh ’ s Road 23rd April School Lane, Buckden Primary School (pupils, teachers and teaching assistants, governors, vol- unteers, midday supervisors, all support staff) 30th April Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, Playgroup and Day Nursery, Buck- den out of Schools Scheme, Buckden Towers Youth Retreat Centre Thought for the Month I ’ m a member of a community of four Claretian Missionaries, living within Buckden Towers. We are part of an international brotherhood of priests, deacons and lay brothers, within the Roman Catholic Church. As a small religious community here in Buckden Towers we run St Hugh ’ s parish church, as well as the Claret Centre – a religious retreat and conference centre. We also assist in prison chaplaincy work in the area. At this time of the year we look forward to the great Christian festival of Easter, celebrating the moment in history, when, we believe, Jesus Christ was victorious over his death on a cross, and returned to life. We see this as a victory too for all the people of God, whereby we are given a share in this new life won for us by Our Lord Jesus Christ. So Easter and springtime fit well together: new growth, new life appearing, the emergence of long - awaited warm sunlight (although I write these reflections as we are approaching mid - March and such signs of spring still seem a long way off!). Once the warmth and increasing light of the spring months envelopes us it has the power to energise us, physically, emo- tionally, spiritually maybe. One particularly bright spot on the horizon for many of us will surely be the Coronation of King Charles III on Monday 8 th May. We will have opportunities to celebrate this locally here in Buckden with a few events taking place in the village. Not eve- ryone is royalist, but these historical moments in our national life can help to bring us together in festivity and celebration, and share good times together. Many of us have spent long lives with the words of the National Anthem flowing from our lips: God save our Gracious Queen … now we ’ re changing the habit of a lifetime to honour our King! May his reign over us be blessed by God! Wishing you all a happy and enjoyable Easter season, Fr Philip Blandford. The Great British Spring Clean 17th March - 2nd April 2023 The great British Spring Clean 2023 is upon us, as hundreds of people across Huntingdonshire prepare to take to our streets and green spaces, armed with litter pickers, gloves and bags, to remove as much litter as possible. The first Great British Spring Clean was introduced back in 1989 with founders, Keep Britain Tidy, enlisting the assistance of children entertainers, The Wombles, alongside an estimated 2 million volunteers across the Country, to litter pick within and around their local area. With such a success, it was only suiting to continue this year upon year, not only to help in the clear- ance of litter but to raise awareness of the disastrous effects litter has. 2023 marks a prominent year for our waste team, with new litter picking groups forming all over our district, bringing like- minded individuals together to tackle a common problem. Litter remains a serious issue across Huntingdonshire, not only looking unsightly, but having a dramatic effect on our local wildlife and the environment that surrounds. The Huntingdon- shire District Council, continue to spend valuable time and re- sources to eradicate litter, utilising their street cleaning team, although in many cases it returns as quickly as it's collected. The Huntingdonshire District Council recently commission a road clearance exercise, along the verges of the B1043 com- monly known as the old A1. Thus far, a staggering 308 bags of litter have been collected over a period of 4 days, equating to an estimated 3 tonne of rubbish; a key indicator that littering is a distinct problem, with still more of that stretch to cover. Littering is a national problem, not just localised to Hunting- donshire, and without the help of volunteer groups picking at their leisure, it would be mounting up on a scale that is uncon- trollable. We therefore appeal to you to ensure that you as an individual, do your utmost to dispose of waste in a correct manner, utilising bins provided within your surroundings or alternatively taken home. The Great British Spring Clean takes place between 17th March to 2nd April, with group picks arranged across Huntingdonshire throughout this period. To find out dates and times of your local pick as well as how to get involved please email litterminimisation@huntingdonshire.gov.uk